Dirk Vandewalle is one of the few most highly regarded experts on Libya’s history and political economy. Dr. Vandewalle is a keen observer of Libya with direct knowledge and insight into the inner workings of its government and General People’s Congress, within the changing domestic and international context that are combining to create a Libya that is more pragmatic and technocratic and which is radically changing its relations with the West. Dr. Vandewalle is the author of the acclaimed book Libya Since Independence in which he developed the concept of the distributive economy.

A political scientist and philosopher by training, Vandewalle’s expertise is in state-building and regime change, commodity booms, institutional development, and economic reform. His most recent work, A History of Modern Libya, became upon publication the authoritative work on the subject.

The Maghreb Center lecture series has been made possible with the generous support of Georgetown University’s Berkley Center and the Moroccan-American Cultural Center.